


Kicked Out

by undernightlight



Series: Deep Dish Nine [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, Cute Friendship, DD9 AU, Deep Dish Nine, Ezri is a kind human, Helping each other out, Julian is an awkward fellow, Julian is meant for Garak, Just Friends, Not Romance, i love them both so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 11:02:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15193355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undernightlight/pseuds/undernightlight
Summary: [Deep Dish Nine AU] Julian gets kicked out by his roommate for the night. He calls on a friend for help.





	Kicked Out

**Author's Note:**

> Julian and Ezri deserved such a good, pure friendship. Like, yes they got together right at the end of season 7, but I kinda wish they hadn't and just had a really close, platonic friendship, so that's what I'm doing. And he also has a brilliant friendship with Jadzia too, but JULIAN AND EZRI AND GETTING THE FRIENDSHIP THEY DESERVE!!

Alpha City was cold at night, and Julian hated it. He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and dug his hands deep into his pockets. He’d had a fight with his roommate, something stupid about the mess in the apartment. Julian just wanted the place a little bit tidier, what that so much to ask? Apparently, as they ended up arguing, and the volume began to rise. It was stupid, Julian thought, but he was tired and really didn’t have the patience. Now he was even more tired, wandering around on his feet in the cold.

He’d had an argument with his parents the day before too, so staying there for the night was out of the question; stuff with his father, this pressure he felt, like he just couldn’t let them down. He was his father’s legacy, after all.

It took him a while to think about who to go to. He thought maybe Miles, but he had a girlfriend now and he didn’t want to get in the way and for it to be awkward. But it would be awkward no matter who he went to. As he approached the apartment building, he felt so incredibly anxious. Turning up at a friends apartment past midnight wasn’t a normal thing to do. Somebody was leaving the building and he managed to catch the door, shuffling in without having to buzz the apartment upstairs. If he found himself unable to knock, he could just sleep in the laundry room? He rode the elevator up to the fourth floor, his shoulders pulled in to make himself as small as possible, leaning into the corner of lift. It dinged, and he stepped out.

He’d been to the apartment twice before, only to just stand inside and wait, but he found his way easily; turn left, third door on the right. He stood in front of the door for a good minute before raising his hand and knocking. He was quiet, though he knew he needed to wake up the most likely, already sleeping occupant. It didn’t mean he felt any less bad about it. He heard quiet shuffles on the other side of the door, muffled footsteps, before the door opened to a squinting Ezri, the hallway lights too bright for her eyes.

“Julian?” Her voice was dry and quiet, “What are you doing here?” She was in her pyjamas, shorts and a vest, with fluffy socks over her feet. She’d clearly been asleep in bed, and the pit in his stomach got deeper. But to leave now, to wake her up and not explain, would just be worse.

“I, urm…” He found himself unable to quite get the words out, “I had an argument with my roommate and he chucked me out, and an argument with my parents so I can’t stay there...I didn’t know where else to go.” He’d looked at the floor the entire time, only looking up at Ezri after he finished speaking. She was leaning against the open door, with a sad smile. He tried to smile back, but couldn’t.

“Come in Julian.” She stepped aside, and he hesitantly stepped in. Once she closed the door, it was dark in the main room. “Hang on,” she said, seemingly knowing what he was thinking, and she switched on a lamp next to the couch. He still just stood there, tense and slightly uncomfortable, feeling bad for asking this of her. “Relax, please, and don’t worry, Jadzia’s at Worf’s.” He just nodded, not knowing what to say. She managed to speak for him, helping him out greatly. “Come on, follow me.” Ezri started walking, and he followed. She pushed open a door into a bedroom, and he stepped in after her.

The room was dark, so she flipped on the light switch by the door. It wasn’t large but also not small, with dark navy walls and wooden floors, a large rug covering most. A desk at the side had a laptop and books, with pens and paper and a lamp. The bed was unmade, the duvet pulled back, and it only then dawned on him that this was her bedroom.

“I don’t want to put you out of a bed,” he said turning to her. She was barely in the room, just leaning against the door frame.

“You’re not, don’t worry. I’ll sleep in Jadzia’s bed.”

“I feel bad…”

“Don’t, please.” She reached and held onto his forearm gently, drawing his eyes back up to her, and he managed to give a small nod. “Sleep well.” As she dropped her hand, she turned and began walking out.

“Thank you,” he said, turning her around, “You’re a good friend Ezri, I owe you.”

“You don’t. It’s what friends are for,” and she was gone.

He gently closed the door, before taking off his scarf and his backpack. He moved to the bed and set his stuff down, and then began changing. He managed to grab a long sleeved shirt and sweatpants before he left, and his uniform polo for tomorrow. After he was changed, he folded his clothes and set them on the floor under the window, before going and turning off the light and crawling under the weight of the duvet. He buried himself under, only his eyes and above clear, and he just stared at the wall for some time, before he eventually managed to fall asleep.

# # # # # #

When Julian woke up in the same position he fell asleep. It took him a little bit of time before he remembered where he was, and then he really didn’t want to move, but knew he had too. There was still plenty of time before he needed to be at work, or they needed to be at work since Ezri was working too today. He didn’t want to move, but he needed the bathroom, so he begrudgingly pulled himself up and out of the warm, safe duvet, and wandered out to see if Ezri was up. She was, in the kitchen, and she turned when she heard footsteps, smiling.

“I’ve put a pot of coffee on, in case you wanted some.”

“Yeah, thanks. I, urm...where’s your bathroom?” He felt awkward asked. It only dawned on Ezri that she hadn’t shown him last night, her mistake.

“Just that door there,” and she pointed round the corner, “And feel free to use the shower.”

“I’ll be fine.” He could shower when he got home later.

“You sure? Don’t forget you’re working today, and you’ve got that study session after.” He’d forgotten about that. Julian was glad she remembered. “I’ve already showered, so don’t worry about hot water.” He noticed then that her hair was slightly damp.

“Well, I guess I might.”

“My stuff’s in the lower of the two baskets on the wall. Use whatever you want.”

He thanked her again before heading to the bathroom. It was about twenty minutes later, at most, when he emerged, in his sleeping clothes again with a towel on his head. Ezri was sat on the couch, dressed now, watching TV. “There’s a mug by the coffee maker, and sugar. There’s milk in the fridge.” She pointed to the coffee maker and fridge as she spoke.

“Thank you,” he said, and he walked to the coffee pot and poured it into the mug left out at the side. He added sugar and went to grab the milk, poured it in then returned it to its places in the door. “Spoon?” His voice was still quiet, he still felt he was imposing.

“Oh, draw by the fridge.” He found the spoons, picked on and stirred, before walking over and sitting on the other couch. Ezri muted the TV and turned to him. “Is everything okay Julian?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine.” He knew she was asking about last night. He wasn’t embarrassed about what the fight was about, though it was an incredibly stupid reason to get kicked out, he just felt bad that he’d disturbed her, imposed himself.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, thanks though.”

“Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m here.” He nodded, drinking his coffee with a small smile. “You should get dressed soon though, and dry your hair. I have a hair drier if you need it.”

“I might be alright, I don’t have much hair to dry.”

“You have as much as me.”

“True.” He took a few, large gulpfuls of coffee, before placing the mug on a coaster and standing, heading to get changed.

# # # # # #

They walked into work a little later than either of them usually would, even later than Worf, though on this occasion he had Jadzia to pull him in early, and they received a few stares from the staff. They both noticed. Ezri didn’t seem to care, but Julian found it harder to ignore. They hung up their bags and jackets on their hooks, before grabbing their caps and getting to work.

Miles commented on it to Julian. “You and Ezri?” Julian knew what he was implying.

“No. She was just helping me out. I had some...personal difficulties.”

“That doesn’t clear anything up you know.”

“I never said supposed to.”

He would never go there with Ezri; she was a close friend and that is what it’ll always be, and he was so very happy with that.

**Author's Note:**

> Did you like? I enjoyed writing this. I came up with the idea late last night, in bed, so I had to write it.
> 
> Let me know what you thought :)


End file.
